The Elder Strolls

The Elder Strolls is a voice-first self-service assistant designed for elderly passengers who are uncomfortable navigating aa.com or the mobile app.

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🚀 Inspiration

For many elderly passengers, managing flights is stressful and overwhelming. Airline apps are dense, phone trees are confusing, and simple changes can mean 30+ minutes on hold or a trip back to the airport. Meanwhile, airline reservation hotlines are overloaded with routine questions that don’t actually require an agent.

We wanted to build something more humane: a system that speaks naturally, listens patiently, and never rushes—while still letting family members step in remotely to help when needed. The result is Elder Strolls, a voice-first travel assistant designed around empathy, accessibility, and real-world caregiving.

https://imgur.com/5UkHJlp

Elder Strolls Demo Screenshot

🎉 What It Does

Elder Strolls is a voice-powered flight assistant that allows elderly passengers to manage their travel through simple, natural conversation—no typing, no menus, no apps to learn.

Core Capabilities

  • Voice-First Interaction
    Passengers speak naturally to check flight status, change flights, or ask questions—hands-free and frustration-free.

  • Reservation Lookup
    Find bookings using a voice-friendly confirmation code or basic passenger details.

  • Flight Changes via Voice
    Guided, step-by-step rebooking flows with clearly spoken options and confirmations.

  • Family Helper Mode (Full Control)
    Passengers can share a secure link so family members can:

    • View the live transcript
    • Send suggestions that are read aloud
    • Perform full actions (rebook flights, add bags, select seats, request wheelchair assistance)

  • IROP (Irregular Operations) Handling
    Automatically detects delays, cancellations, and missed connections and presents rebooking options that caregivers can accept or decline remotely.

  • Real-Time Location Tracking
    Monitors passenger location in the airport, estimates walking time to the gate, and triggers alerts if they’re at risk of missing their flight.

  • Phone-Based Access
    Elder Strolls can be called directly, providing a familiar phone experience with real-time transcription and voice responses.

🛠️ How We Built It

  • Frontend: Next.js 14, React, TailwindCSS
    Designed with accessibility first—24px+ fonts, large touch targets, and high contrast.

  • Backend: Python Django + Django REST Framework
    Handles conversation state, reservations, caregiver actions, and IROP logic.

  • AI / NLU: Google Gemini API
    Processes natural language, intent recognition, and conversational flow.

  • Voice Experience

    • ElevenLabs Conversational AI + TTS for natural, human-like responses
    • Web Speech API as a fallback for voice input

  • Maps & Location: Mapbox GL JS
    Enables real-time location tracking, gate distance, and walking time estimates.

  • Data & APIs

    • Mock AA Flight-Engine API for realistic flight data
    • SQLite (dev) / PostgreSQL (prod)

  • Deployment: Docker, Vultr, Nginx

💧 Challenges We Faced

  • Balancing real-time responsiveness with accuracy during flight changes
  • Reducing the interface to as little clutter as possible while still implementing new features.
  • Creating a caregiver interface that’s powerful without overwhelming the passenger
  • Safely handling sensitive passenger data while allowing shared family access
  • Making location tracking helpful without being invasive or stressful

🏆 Accomplishments

  • Built a fully voice-driven flight management system requiring zero typing
  • Implemented Family Helper Mode with real, actionable remote control
  • Automatic IROP detection and rebooking workflows
  • Bilingual support (English & Spanish)
  • Real-time airport location monitoring with proactive alerts
  • Phone-based access that feels familiar to elderly users

📚 What We Learned

  • Family involvement dramatically reduces anxiety and increases confidence
  • Designing for caregivers is as important as designing for passengers

🔮 What’s Next

  • Integrate with official airline APIs for live pricing and seat maps
  • Expand caregiver tools with push notifications and disruption alerts
  • Add deeper accessibility features for hearing and vision impairments
  • Deploy dedicated phone numbers in more regions
  • Partner with senior living communities and assisted travel programs

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